The moment she was back in the house and in my line of sight, I felt better. Hank probably wouldn’t make another appearance because he was a coward. He’d targeted Rome because she was a petite woman, but now that a man like me came with the package, he was powerless to do anything.

I should relax.

But I couldn’t do that until she was returned to me in the same condition as when she left.

My arms circled her waist, and I kissed her the second she walked inside, not caring if Christopher looked at us or not. She might be his sister, but she was my woman. I took care of her and adored her, so I could kiss her whenever the fuck I wanted.

When I turned to Christopher, he was staring at a painting on my wall, obviously finding something to look at us besides our affection. “Have a good time?” I shook his hand just as I did when he arrived at the house.

“Eh.” He shrugged. “She was a little annoying, but she’s been worse.” He smiled, telling me he was kidding. “So, I’d say it went pretty well.”

“Christopher got promoted at work.” Rome stood off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a long-sleeve gray sweater that fit snugly over her gorgeous tits. Her brown hair was in spirals as it trailed down her chest, framing her beautiful face. Her green eyes were more vibrant when she did her makeup in a special way. She was gorgeous, and I wasn’t sure how Christopher didn’t find her attractive. They weren’t blood relatives, and they didn’t meet until they were teenagers. But it didn’t seem like Christopher looked at her in that regard at all.

“Congrats, man.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Good for you.”

“Thanks,” Christopher answered. “And no, I’m not sleeping with my boss…unlike some people.” He shot Rome a look full of accusation.

“I was sleeping with him before he was my boss,” Rome countered. “Doesn’t count.”

“But that’s how you got the job, right?” Christopher argued.

I could tell these two were already back to normal. “Want me to call you a cab?”

“Nah.” Christopher fist-bumped me before he headed to the door. “I like to walk. More opportunities to spot a beautiful woman.” He winked then walked out.

I locked the door behind him as soon as he was gone. When I turned back to Rome, she was standing in the same place, her arms still crossed over her chest. Without even trying, she looked stunning in that sweater and jeans. Something about her natural qualities made her the sexiest woman in the world, with or without clothes. “Have a good time?”

“Yes.”

I took a few steps toward her and closed the gap between us. She’d only been gone for a few hours, but that somehow felt like an eternity. I’d worked out in my private gym with music blaring through my headphones, but somehow the distraction wasn’t strong enough to make me stop thinking about her.

“What did you do while I was gone?”

“Worked out.”

“Ooh…I thought your arms looked nice.” Her hand snaked up my arm to my bicep, where she gave the muscle a gentle squeeze.

I wanted to do the same to her tits. “Did he miss you like you assumed?”

“Actually, yes. He told me something interesting…”

I waited for her to answer on her own, refusing to fish for knowledge.

“He said he wants to make his own family. He feels lonely.”

“Lonely?” Christopher always struck me as the kind of man who preferred to be alone, like a lone wolf.

“Yeah. Seeing me with you has made him realize I’m not going to be around forever, at least in the way I was before. It’s made him feel a little isolated. So now he wants to find a wife and have some kids. You know, start his own family.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. Christopher didn’t strike me as the emotional or sentimental type. But I did have a mother and a brother in my life. I had Ruin, among other things. But when I met Rome, I knew I had to have her, and not because I was lonely. In fact, I never understood I was lonely until she walked through the door. “Didn’t realize he was so attached to you.”

“I guess I’ve kinda always known…just never thought about it.” She ran her hands up and down her arms slowly, like she was a little chilly.

All she needed was a big, strong man like me to keep her warm. I moved my arms around her waist and pressed my face close to hers. I didn’t like sharing her with anyone—even her brother. My mouth automatically moved to hers, and I kissed her slowly, feeling the heat start deep inside my groin. My tongue danced with hers, and I felt the arousal roll through me like the waves of the ocean during the storm. Images came into my mind, her ass in the air with her hands handcuffed against the small of her back. Her sex glistening with arousal, her pussy anxious for my cock. I paced back and forth at the foot of the bed, my leather belt in my hands. Then I struck her hard on the ass, marking that beautiful skin and turning it a luscious red color.

Fuck.

I pushed the thought from my mind because it was wrong. It was a fantasy, and I shouldn’t be thinking about something that wasn’t real when I had a woman like Rome right in front of me. She was perfect in every way, enough to satisfy me. I didn’t need to picture myself hurting her, listening to her cry and moan at the same time.

No.

“I missed you,” she whispered into my mouth.

My hands gripped her tighter than necessary, my desire controlling my behavior. I guided her backward until the backs of her knees hit the couch. I broke our kiss and moved her until her ass hit the cushion.

Like we were of one mind, she reached for my jeans and undid them. My pants and boxers fell to my ankles, and I kicked them away. I was barefoot, so I was ready to go. She gripped my hips then surrounded my cock with her warm mouth, enveloping him in her saliva.

I stared down at her and felt like a king.

She moved her hands to her jeans and undid them, in a hurry to get my cock inside her. Her mouth continued to work over my length at the same time, her experienced tongue still lapping at me without pause.

A new image came to my mind, her hands bound together behind her back with my tie. A blindfold was placed over her face, and she balanced on her knees as she continued to take my cock. I had her hair tight in my palm like she was an animal on a leash.

I shook the thought away.

I yanked her jeans and panties off then moved on top of her on the couch. I placed her legs over my shoulders as I pinned her deep into the cushion, her head against the armrest. When she was curled up underneath me like this, I was insanely turned on. She felt like a prisoner, a plaything.

I brushed my lips over hers before I sank into her, sliding through the slickness that formed the second she walked in the door. With her knees together, she was tighter than usual. My cock was in heaven, feeling her snug slickness.

“Calloway…” She moaned the moment she felt me, her hands gripping my arms for balance.

I loved being buried inside her like this. She was truly mine, my property. I was the first one to fuck her, and I better be the last too. With my eyes trained on her face, I thrust my hips and moved deep inside her, feeling the pussy that I worshiped. I watched every expression she made, every time her lips trembled. If I didn’t want to come so badly, I would do this forever. All I could do was last long enough to make her come.

And right on cue, she did.

* * *

I never mentioned Isabella to Rome, knowing no good would come from it. My view on our physical relationship was perfectly clear, so there was nothing I could say to change Rome’s mind about it.

I tried to forget about what Isabella said, but I found it difficult to do.

Like a monster inside me had come to life, the demon couldn’t be restrained. I found myself picturing Rome in compromising positions, her ass red and her cheeks stained with tears. I pictured her gaze averted to the floor as she sat on her knees, completely submissive.

It got me so hard I wanted to scream.

I had to fight these urges. I had to fight these dark thoughts. All I had with Rome was vanilla, and I needed to enjoy it, not fantasize about her in shackles.

If I focused hard enough, I could do it.

Right?

My PI called me shortly after lunch, hopefully with news about Hank.

“Hey, Carl. What do you have for me?”

Carl spoke in a bored voice, as was his usual. “It turns out he did have some earlier transgressions with other women. Rome isn’t the first.”

Of course she wasn’t. I didn’t need a private investigator to confirm that. “Any evidence?”

“Nothing concrete. Nothing that will work in the court of law, if that’s what you mean.”

“Would any of these women be willing to come forward?” If they accused him on their own, I wouldn’t have to get my hands dirty at all.

“I don’t know about that either. I’m sure they’re just as afraid of him as Rome was. They would need some encouragement.”

Probably a strong man to protect them.

“Anything else?”

“Nope. Rome’s past is still a mystery to me. Talked to some contacts but didn’t get anywhere.”

I hadn’t been investigating Rome since she and I turned serious. Anything I wanted to know, she usually told me on her own. It must have slipped my mind to tell Carl to back off. “You don’t need to look into her anymore, Carl. But thank you.”

“That’s a relief,” he said. “I can’t figure out what her previous name is anyway, so I can’t track down any info.”

I kept the phone against my ear and paused when I heard what he said. When I first asked him to investigate Rome, he told me her past had been wiped clean after she changed her name. He never figured out why she did it. And the revelation slipped my mind over the course of our relationship.

“Mr. Owens?”

I forgot I was still on the line. “Keep looking into Hank. Don’t worry about Rome.”

“Alright. Talk to you later.”

I hung up without saying goodbye.

Rome told me she had a hard life growing up. That was how she and Christopher crossed paths. But something must be chasing her if she went through all the trouble to wipe away a large portion of her life.

Why hadn’t she told me?

I couldn’t help but be offended. She waited too long to tell me about Hank, and she was assaulted because of it. Did she have other skeletons in her closet that she was hiding from me? I’d committed my entire life to her. Wasn’t that enough to earn her trust?

I wanted to confront her about it, but hesitance immediately took over. The only way I would know this information was if I looked into her background without her permission. I’d known Rome long enough to understand the consequences of that.

She would be livid.

So I would need to fish it out of her some other way. Perhaps if I brought it up over dinner, it would convince her to come clean about whatever she was hiding from. I wasn’t trying to be nosy. Of course, I respected her privacy. But if I had another psychopath actively searching for her, I needed to know about it.

I never let anyone catch me with my guard down.

Or I could ask Christopher.

That would be another act of betrayal. Rome wouldn’t speak to me for a week if I pulled that stunt. In that case, I may as well just confront her about it directly. Besides, I’d rather hear about it from her anyway.

* * *

I finished my workout in the garage and wiped my face with a towel. I stepped into the house, feeling my t-shirt stick to my skin from all the sweat. I patted my face dry then threw the towel over my shoulder. Rome was standing in front of me, wearing black leggings and a pink sports bra. “What’s my woman up to?” She looked cute in work-out gear, her hair combed back into a high ponytail. The natural hourglass shape of her figure was sexy. She didn’t need to lift a finger, and her body was still unbelievable. I couldn’t say the same thing about myself. I needed muscle to be masculine. And muscle didn’t just grow on its own.

“Your woman?”

“Yes. That’s one of your many names.” Sometimes it was sweetheart. Sometimes it was Rome. But when I felt particularly possessive or aroused, it was always woman. It felt more primal to me, carnal, even.

“I was going to hit the gym.”

I tried not to smile. “Run on the treadmill?”

“Hey, I can lift weights too. I’m not totally clueless.”

“Just be careful. A lot of that stuff is heavy.”

She rolled her eyes and walked past me, shaking her hips as she went.

I smacked her ass as she moved by me, feeling that tight ass. “I’m gonna shower. You know where to find me.”

“I’m gonna get hot and sweaty. You know where to find me.”

I walked into my bedroom then got in the shower. The second the warm water hit me, I pictured Rome getting a very different workout. She didn’t need a gym or free weights. If we went to my playroom at Ruin, she would get all the cardio she needed.

My cock was hard the second I touched her ass, and now it was even harder because my thoughts turned sinister. I wanted to shove a butt plug up her ass and stare at the shiny jewel while I fucked her cunt. Feeling full at both ends would make her come so hard, she would scream and lose her voice.

My cock twitched.

I massaged the shampoo into my hair and forced myself not to think such dirty things. My cock was rock hard and swollen at the head. I hadn’t wanted to jerk off since I met Rome, but now the need possessed me. I wanted to live out my fantasy, even if it wasn’t real.

I couldn’t.

Like my cock had dominion over my brain, I pictured her riding me then slapping me as hard as she could. She slapped me harder than she ever did in that bar. Her handprint was permanently etched into my cheek.

I tilted my head under the water and felt the soap drift down my body. My hands shook because I couldn’t fight the temptation. I knew Rome was in the garage and would remain there for at least thirty minutes.

I had time to rub one out.

I felt like an asshole for having the urge, for pleasuring myself when I had the perfect woman to satisfy me. But fuck, I wanted to do kinky shit that she wouldn’t allow. With a clenched jaw and a guilty conscience, I squirted the shampoo into my hand and lathered it onto my dick.

Now that I allowed my mind to think these debauched things, the images came immediately. I gripped my belt and smacked it hard against her ass, hearing her whimper with tears. Count with me.

One.

I gripped the belt again then slapped it across her other cheek, making a mark where I struck her. Louder.

Two…

I hit her again and again, punishing her for not telling me about her past. I was her Dom, and she was supposed to tell me every little detail about her life. She was supposed to seek me out for protection, to confide every secret to me. I hit harder than ever before, my knuckles turning white because I gripped the leather so hard.

She released a cry and a moan at the exact same time. Three.

I dropped the belt then came up behind her at the foot of the bed. I shoved my raging cock inside her and felt the slickness immediately. She was soaked and desperate for my length. She knew she deserved to be punished. She knew she deserved three more slaps once I was finished fucking her.

My hand moved up and down my length quickly, matching the pace that I fucked her in my mind. Her pussy was so tight and wet. Hear screams echoed in my head. I stuck two fingers in my mouth and sucked before I shoved them deep inside her tight little asshole. That made her moan again, and my cock was about to explode.

I was right on the edge of an explosion. I could feel the desire pool in my balls before it shot down my length. My entire body felt amazing, felt incredible. I came so hard I couldn’t stop myself from releasing a moan. I shot onto the shower wall, the white come sticking to the tile before it slowly slipped down to the drain. I kept rubbing myself until every drop was gone, picturing her tight pussy taking the entire load. “Fuck…” I leaned against the wall when I was finished, relieved and satisfied. Now that I’d finally gotten what I needed maybe I would stop thinking those dirty thoughts.

Or maybe they would just get worse.

* * *

“I’m so sore, I can barely move.” Rome lay beside me in bed, on her side with her back to me. She reminded me of a pregnant woman who was uncomfortable during the end of her pregnancy.

“I told you those weights were heavy.”

“I’ll stick to the treadmill next time.”

I pressed my chest against her back and cuddled her in the dark. I made love to her after dinner, right on the dining table where our plates had been moments before. We’d probably have another round now if she wasn’t so stiff. If I hadn’t treated myself that afternoon, I’d probably be much grouchier.

Even when we lay together like this in peaceful union, I couldn’t help but wonder what her real name was. Was Rome even her first name? Had it been something else entirely? Did Christopher call her something else when they were alone together?

The fact that he knew something that I didn’t know bothered me.

I lay with my face pressed into her hair, her scent washing over me in comforting waves. When she was beside me, I slept so much better. I descended into the land of a dreamless sleep. Even when she turned in the middle of the night and smacked my cheek with her palm, I still loved the closeness. When she was really tired, she snored. I loved that too.

Even though Rome wasn’t looking at me, she could feel my tension. It filled the dark room and infected her skin. “Something on your mind?”

I didn’t know how to address this topic. It could easily push her away, and I would end up sleeping alone for the night. “You and Christopher were in the same foster home, right?”

She flinched at the question, like that was the last thing she expected me to say. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s an important aspect of your life. I want to know everything about you.”

“Well, I already told you we were in the same foster home. Then we were adopted together later on.”

It was obvious she didn’t want to talk about this. Her tone was short and clipped. She was pushing me away, closing me off. I didn’t appreciate it. “You can tell me anything. I hope you know that, Rome.”

“I know, Calloway. But there’s nothing to tell. That part of my life is over.”

Was anything ever really over? I hid my offense that she continued to keep her secret from me. If she thought I wouldn’t figure it out eventually, she wasn’t very bright. The truth always found its way to the surface—every time. I struggled to keep my anger at bay at the cold brush-off. I’d made a lot of sacrifices for this relationship, but that still wasn’t good enough for her.

I didn’t say another word for the rest of the evening.